Police: Teacher Fondled Lafayette Woman

JAMES CITY — A former Lafayette High School student says she had a sexual relationship with one of her teachers while she was a student there in 2002, police say.

The woman made the allegation to Williamsburg-James City County school officials last week, and the school officials called police.

But police said they determined no crime was involved because the student was 18 at the time and the sexual contact was consensual.

Police said the sexual contact involved fondling but not intercourse.

Schools spokesman Timothy Bullis said Friday that the teacher in question was not in school. He declined to elaborate on whether that was a temporary or permanent absence.

He said the school system would take seriously any allegation and fully investigate it. He said he could not comment any more specifically because the issue was a personnel matter.

According to police records, the woman said that she told the teacher she was infatuated with him and that he said he felt the same way. They began seeing each other before and after school, she said, and she went to his room one day with no panties under her skirt.

She said she never asked the teacher to stop during any of their encounters but was coming forward now after watching a "Roseanne" episode because "she didn't want him to get away with doing this to her," police records say.

They also said the teacher was still working at the school when the report was taken Jan. 16.

Patti Rosenberg can be reached at 223-5686 or by e-mail at prosenberg@dailypress.com